Once & Future | Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Big Finish Audio Series SPOILER Review

Big Finish have celebrated each milestone Doctor Who anniversary with epic multi-Doctor specials - this year saw a whole series released throughout the year. A special 'Coda' not due to be released till next year notwithstanding, this year's Big Finish anniversary special has come to an end.
So let's talk about it!
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[@stephennoonan8417]

Hello Chris! I very much enjoyed this video. You’ve managed to explain what on Earth I was doing one day in a studio in the middle of a godforsaken industrial estate with an engineer, talking on cleanfeed to David Richardson, a lovely actor called Sam Stafford who was reading all the other parts, and a delightful director called Jaz, who was standing in for Ken Bentley, who was at the Queen’s funeral (or something🤷🏻‍♂️). The other actors had recorded their bits so long before that some of them had actually died, and David certainly couldn’t remember who had played Miss Jessamy Moore. But this is all part of the joy of recording for the wireless! 😃 I was holding my breath and gritting my teeth as you approached the one that I was in most - as I know what I’m doing doesn’t always tickle everyone’s fancy. But I was very pleased that you were quite lenient. It is - well, I would say this but it’s true! - by far the hardest one to do. And I have a running joke with Briggs about letting me have a go at the piece of piss ones like Pertwee or Tom Baker. Tom Baker still wants to do the latter of course, which is fair enough, I suppose. 😁 I’ve also been very much enjoying dipping into your marathon. And very frequently agreeing with you! I’d say - having not long completed your First Doctor rewatch - that you’re consequently a bit of an expert; so your complimentary remarks about my rendition are extremely informed and thus hugely appreciated! Best wishes, mate. Stephen 👍

[@chris_stokes]

Stephen! Delighted you've been popping in, that's made my day! I genuinely look forward to your First Doctor stories and thought The Demon Song boxset was one of the strongest of this year so I'm super keen for January's. And so great to read your experience of recording Planetoid 50, which remains my highlight of the Once and Future series. Looking forward to many more First Doctor stories!

[@stephennoonan8417]

@@chris_stokes Yes. VERY much enjoying your Marathon, Chris. Each time I’m preparing for a new project, I go back and watch/listen to all the stories; and it’s always helpful to compare notes with other experts. Recently, for the Meeting on the Common film - animated by the brilliant young prodigy, Mel Meanley - I needed to re-examine AUC and the Pilot in detail. Like you, I often have a sneaking preference for the latter. The transmitted episode has a remarkable aesthetic polish; and moments like Hartnell looking into the lens on ‘…find a policeman’, followed by the squint and ‘insulting!’ are breathtaking. But the Pilot has an uncanniness all its own. And I love the extra ambiguity of the Doctor: the climax being the malevolent laugh as the teachers realise they’re trapped. And it has one of the most thrillingly spine-chilling lines: ‘I tell you before your ancestors turned the first wheel, the people of my world had reduced movement through the farthest reaches of Space to a game for children!’ He’s only ever really that wonderfully unknowable and detached again at moments of the Hinchcliffian Tom in Season 13. So glad you like The Demon Song. I’ve a very soft spot for it. Although I love the chemistry with the brilliant Lauren, it’s a great delight to develop temporary Doctor/companion relationships. Henry Nott and Bhavnisha Parmar in The DS were hilarious; and so was Genevieve Gaunt in Incherton. What’s coming with Maureen O’Brien of course is - as the kids would say - ‘whole other level!’ What she’s doing in it and the story itself are phenomenal. And I really hope you enjoy it as much as we did recording it! Cheers mate - and Happy Anniversary! Stephen 😁

[@chriss5461]

You’re quite the man Stephen, loved reading these messages. So kind and humble, both you and Chris

[@MSDOSProject]

I'll definitely have to relisten to all these loek you did. Here were my initial thoughts: Past Lives: Decent story but it didn't explore the themes enough Artist: Great story, beautiful messaging Intelligence for War: 7 and Davros is always great please give more Twos Company: nothing substantive. Ultimate dartboard (with some fun moments) Martian Invasion: Delightful, the pairings here all just eork Time Lord Immemorial: This one didn't really do it for me. Outside of 9 I have no connection to these characters. I'll come back to it when I get to hear some of their stuff The Union: absolutely great. An awesome ending. Made the rest of the stuff worth it. Maureen OBrien is always brilliant.

[@chriss5461]

Chris, I’ve noticed you’re getting better and better and figuring out your channel and charisma! Great video! Well done

[@tomscharf8812]

I’ve been buying them as they have been released but waiting for all to come out and the right space and time (see what I did there😢) to listen as a “marathon” ode to you Sir, I will come back and watch the video after I have listened to the adventures 😊

[@thiinkerca]

Thanks very much for such a detailed review. Cheers

[@stuartwho]

Can’t watch this yet. Still got two more to listen to. Happy Doctor Who Day though🎉

[@garym6315]

Like you, part of me wants to return to the level of fandom I had back 10 or 20 years ago, but it's not easy. I walked away from new Who in 2016 as the stuff I didn't like outweighed the good. I drifted away from Big Finish and am particularly annoyed at their recasting and impressionist hiring policies. Why should we care that they have original actors in Big Finish when there is an equal amount of roles they get inpressionists to do? That's honestly no different from me writing and acting out my own fan adventures.

[@KilamajaroKen]

You come off as someone who will never be happy no matter what BBC or Big Finish does.

[@eichelbergergary]

What recasts have created this much angst? True, a few might have had better options but only BF knows the issues involved with landing particular folks. I would like to have seen Christopher Thomson on the Second Doctor role, but some of the “impressionists” are pretty remarkable: the Third Doctor era is pretty terrific in recapturing the era, especially Culshaw as the Brigadier, as well as Jonathan Carley as War Doctor- and they have had an incredibly good streak of getting original actors to return even decades after their original portrayals. Not every story is a hit, but i find their success rate improving, unlike the BBC television programming.

[@eichelbergergary]

i keep seeing the latest referred to as the conclusion of the series. The BF website is advertising "Coda" with virtually no info...so is "Coda" the conclusion or what? I am working my way through this series. Thank Heavens for Big Finish!

[@chris_stokes]

My own theory is the coda is something to do with/includes actors they're not allowed to release stuff from just yet. I'm thinking Jo Martin specifically. But this is all conjecture, who knows what it is at this point and why it's coming out a year later? I can't think of an artistic reason so have assumed it's practical/contractual. But I would say the story comes to a conclusion with The Union so the coda, whatever it turns out to be, will be a little bonus

[@faealbahrani8821]

Isn't there a big finish doctor who 60s anniversary special with john and hurt and chris Eccleston? Plz let me know anyone because I thought they announced it but now I can't find it. Anyone plz let me know

[@chris_stokes]

Not with John Hurt and Christopher Eccleston - you're probably thinking of the story from this series with Eccleston and David Warner. OR there's a story in the Young War Doctor series with Jonathon Carley which has an episode with Paul McGann?

[@replimatreviews]

Not heard any of these releases, a) because I've rarely heard good things about them, and b) I rarely get BF releases anyway, and c) the idea just didn't appeal to me. I did, however, listen to Zagreus (twenty!!) years ago, and I still think that's a lot of fun and wonderfully clever and interesting. And I know I wasn't the only one who went 'ooooh' at the end of disc three when the Horn of Rassilon went off. ;-) - AFA

[@chris_stokes]

I still think Zagreus has the edge on this series. It's funny how the early 2000s Paul McGann audios felt like a brand new era at the time. 18 months from the cliffhanger of Neverland until Zagreus was a hell of a wait!

[@replimatreviews]

@@chris_stokesOH, indeed. Remember it well. I was an avid BF listener back then; McGann was THE Doctor. For my money Gary Russell's run as producer remains unmatched in BF for its experimentation, its diversity of stories, and its reliance on story first, gimmick (when it happened) second.

[@replimatreviews]

@@chris_stokesOH, indeed. Remember it well. I was an avid BF listener back then; McGann was THE Doctor. For my money Gary Russell's run as producer remains unmatched in BF for its experimentation, its diversity of stories, and its reliance on story first, gimmick (when it happened) second.

[@akshaytrayner1960]

Great vid

[@akshaytrayner1960]

This was good but messy